For our May recital in the Enescu Concerts Series, we are pleased to resume our partnership with ARTEXIM, proud organiser of the "George Enescu" International Festival and Competition, to present a special event dedicated to promoting the 20th edition of the Competition, titled In Pursuit of Excellence and taking place in Bucharest between 23 August and 19 September.
The event brings together distinguished guests from the international music scene: Maria Marica, violinist and First Prize winner of the 2022 George Enescu International Competition; Gabriel Gîțan, the Competition’s official accompanist pianist; Cristina Uruc, Executive Director of the Competition; and Peter Quantrill, journalist and music critic.
The evening will open with a discussion between Cristina Uruc and Peter Quantrill, focusing on the George Enescu International Competition and the story behind one of the most successful classical music events worldwide, extending an impassioned invitation to young musicians to take part in this year’s event. Recognised as one of the most prestigious classical music competitions in the world, it carries forward the legacy of the great Romanian composer George Enescu, particularly his commitment to supporting and nurturing young musicians.
The evening will continue with a recital performed by violinist Maria Marica and pianist Gabriel Gîțan, featuring works by Johannes Brahms, Ernest Chausson, and George Enescu.
PROGRAMME:
Johannes Brahms - Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108
Ernest Chausson - Poème, Op. 25
George Enescu - Sonata No. 2 in F minor, Op. 6
BIOGRAPHIES:
Winner of the George Enescu International Competition 2022 and Instrumentalist of the Year 2024,Maria Marica is a Romanian violinist born in Cluj-Napoca into a musical family. She began playing the violin at seven and studied with Vasile Socea and Nicușor Silaghi, later continuing at the Hochschule für Musik Saar with David Grimal (violin) and Krzysztof Chorzelski (chamber music). She has performed widely across Europe and the United States, appearing in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland, and at venues such as the Musikverein, Elbphilharmonie, Philharmonie de Paris, and Konzerthaus Berlin. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with artists including Gary Hoffman, Claire Désert, Marc Coppey, Philippe Cassard, David Grimal, Frans Helmerson, Boris Brovtsyn, Sergey Malov, Victor Julien-Laferrière, and Solenne Païdassi. She has taken part in major festivals and programmes, including Les Dissonances, Les Rencontres Clés, Lumières d’Europe, Kronberg Academy Masterclasses, SoNoRo, and Music@Menlo. From 2020 to 2024, she was a member of Les Dissonances and the Romanian Youth Orchestra. Marica performs on an 1845 August Sébastien Philippe Bernardel violin.
Pianist Gabriel Gîțan completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s studies at the National University of Music Bucharest, studying with Viniciu Moroianu, Verona Maier, Steluța Radu, and Cristina Popescu-Stănești. He won prizes at national and international competitions and was twice awarded the University’s Excellence Scholarship (2018, 2021). Since 2021, he has been a répétiteur at Secondary School of Arts No. 4 in Bucharest, and between 2023 and 2026 he served as répétiteur at the National Opera Bucharest. He performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician in Romania and abroad. Highlights of his recent activity include a recital at the Romanian Athenaeum, performances in Berlin dedicated to George Enescu, and a recital at the José Saramago Foundation with violinist Maria Marica. After winning First Prize at the Hungarian Music Festival 2018, he collaborated with the Hungarian Cultural Institute and performed internationally. He has appeared in the Lunchtime Recitals series of the Romanian Cultural Institute in London and performed at festivals including the George Enescu Festival and Musica Barcensis Festival. He has recorded for the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company, performed widely across Europe, and served as official accompanist at the George Enescu International Competition (2020, 2022), collaborating with leading Romanian musical institutions.
Peter Quantrill writes and speaks about music. His work appears in Gramophone, The Strad, Pianist, Hi-Fi News, Bachtrack, and many other print and online publications. He also contributes essays on music and musicians to performing arts organisations and record labels, such as the Salzburg Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, and Deutsche Grammophon. He gives concert introductions across the UK and abroad, and he has given talks at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
Cristina Urucbegan her career in concert management, cultural events, and shows in 2007 at ARTEXIM, accumulating over six years of experience in all stages of production and organisation of one of the world's largest classical music festivals. She served as the general project manager of the International Week of New Music Festival and tour manager of renowned early music ensembles such as Il Giardino Armonico and Coro e Orchestra Ghislieri. She studied composition at the National University of Music Bucharest under the guidance of composer Livia Teodorescu-Ciocănea (bachelor's and master's degrees), and in 2019, she was awarded the title of "Doctor of Music" at the same institution under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Dan Dediu.
Free entry.
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